A Teacher’s Many Hats
It’s often said, teachers wear many hats throughout the school day. As a teacher, I can certainly attest to this statement. In fact, I believe a teacher wears more hats than any other professional. To prove my point, I’ve decided to compile a list of frequently used “teacher hats” to help support my claim. The […]
Cuomo on the Common Core: Another Committee
New York Governor Cuomo has finally started to address the Common Core elephant in the room after months of parent and educator complaints. Vague as usual, Cuomo has called for a committee to “fix the problems”. (another story here) We have been through this before. When a politician hears cries of protest, particularly in an […]
Getting drunk on #edtech: To hell with #poverty.
“Maryland schools need $100 million dollars!” For what? Maybe to, Reduce the rate of low birth weight children among African Americans, Reduce drug and alcohol abuse, Reduce pollutants in our cites and move people away from toxic sites, Provide universal and free medical care for all citizens, Insure that no one suffers from food insecurity, […]
Wow! They were suspended for this video? #ShameonCami
I’ve watched this video a few times, trying desperately to find any reason for suspension. It’s scary to think that Newark officials suspended these dedicated school leaders for speaking out and defending their school, staff, and students. What is going on in Newark? This is highly un-American. So much for freedom of speech!
Student: We’re Messing Up My Generation
The following speech was written by one of my former students in North Carolina, who also read my resignation letter from October 2012 and told me it brought her to tears. She wrote this before she saw my letter in the Washington Post. This speech shows that our kids are feeling the realities more strongly […]
Raising the (Dun)Bar?
Since August 2013, Dunbar Senior High School has received a great deal of public attention, and rightfully so. A historic DC high school with an important national legacy, Dunbar has long been a unique American institution. But, now that the new paint has dried, Dunbar is bracing for a new round of publicity. This time, […]
Special episode of @thechalkface radio: What’s happening in Newark?
@the chalkface radio special episode-Thursday January 23rd 7:00 pm Eastern. Special Guest: Dr. Leonard Pugliese, Executive Director of the City Association of Supervisors and Administrators (CASA), the union that represents principals and vice principals in the Newark public schools. Shaun and Tim will spend time on Thursday speaking to Dr. Pugliese about the “suspension” of five […]
My second thoughts on DCPS #IMPACT and #teachereval @thewashteacher @rweingarten
I’ve been obsessing just a bit over my first official encounter with one of the crown jewels of the inner city education reform movement: the DCPS IMPACT evaluation scheme. Student growth, or VAM scores, account for a significant portion of any teacher’s overall evaluation. And despite AFT President Randi Weingarten’s recent come to Jesus moment […]
Pulling a Greene: Why Advocacy and Market Forces Fail Education Reform [Redux]
Pulling a Greene: Why Advocacy and Market Forces Fail Education Reform [Redux]. via Pulling a Greene: Why Advocacy and Market Forces Fail Education Reform [Redux].
ALEC and Its (Reluctantly) Newly-created Jeffersonian Project
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has been in existence for over forty years– since 1973. In 1975, ALEC registered as a nonprofit organization. By the late 1980s, ALEC had begun to “actively solicit more input from private sector members” as the ALEC “task forces” became “model bill movers.” Thus, by 1990, the current ALEC practice of involving corporate […]
1-20-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: Dream Deferred, MLK Day 2014: “This rigid refusal to look at ourselves”Dream Deferred, MLK Day 2014: \”This rigid refusal to look at ourselves\”. via Dream Deferred, MLK Day 2014: “This rigid refusal to look at ourselves”.1 by plthomasedd / 20min My MLK Post: An Assignment for Test-Driven ReformersOn this day dedicated to the memory of a remarkable man who gave his life (literall